Russian expert points at inartificial nature of competition in NKR

• Friday, July 20, 10:24

"The election in Nagornyy Karabakh is a factor which also promotes ligitimization of the republic like a participant in the negotiating process and a factor of regional stability which is impossible not to be taken into consideration", an employee of the Oriental Studies Institute under Russian Academy of Science, political expert Andrey Areshev, said to ArmInfo correspondent in Stepanakert where he arrived to like an international monitor for the presidential election in Nagornyy Karabakh. "First of all, I would like to point at inartificial nature of the political process in Nagornyy Karabakh unlike in many other recognized and semi-recognized countries of the post-Soviet territory where we can't see any competition but can see certain theatrical nature of activity of certain candidates, as well as using of administrative and force resource. I would like to mention the high level of competition and its inartificial nature in Karabakh", - Areshev said. Saying there are certain problems in Nagornyy Karabakh, the expert added that "Although much was done for the last five years for development of social and economic infrastructure and public and political processes, nevertheless, there are problems of unemployment, emigration and settlement of a part of the territory of Nagornyy Karabakh. However, it is pleasant that a vital, interested and sometimes sharp dialogue is established around these problems. The availability of constructive opposition is very much important for Karabakh. One of the candidates for president said that if he loses, he will work in the opposition field. By the way, in this context Karabakh may be a sample for many other countries where the so-called opposition puts forward some unclear strange ideas and sees the receipt of political development and prosperity of state in external recommendations from abroad, which will teach democracy. There is not such a thing in Karabakh. We in Russia understand that the main resource for development of any country are, first of all,the people and the society. As for the Karabakh society, it is oriented not to the false but the right and long-lasting goals". When commenting on regular threats of official Baku linked with the presidential election in Karabakh, Areshev said: "Not only Russians are in Karabakh today, but also representatives of European Parliament from different countries, as well as many people which have been dealing with the Karabakh issue. They understand very well that Karabakh is a factor of the regional policy and no solution of the Minsk Group or other organizations will be accepted without taking the viewpoint of Karabakh into consideration. I am pleased for the fact that the co-chairs seem to understand it. The direct non-constructive position of total negation of everything which is taking place in Nagornyy Karabakh, assures representatives of the world community more and more that further joint way of development of Azerbaijan and Nagornyy Karabakh is incompatible", - he concluded.